the world behind the wardrobe
by wild wolf free17
Summary: Drabbles, moviebased -gen, AU, slash-
1. when we were young

**Title**: when we were young and our hopes were high

**Fandom**: _The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_

**Disclaimer**: not my characters; just for fun. Title from Deanna Carter.

**Warnings**: spoilers; movie 'verse

**Pairings**: none

**Rating**: PG

**Point** **of** **view**: third

**Wordcount**: 325

* * *

_Edmund gasps and falls, the Witch standing above him, serene and full of power. She stares down at him, lips slightly curved. _

_Edmund's gasp and fall is all Peter knows. The rest of the battle is lost to him—only his brother, his little brother, his baby brother—Edmund—_

_The Witch turns and strides toward him; Peter forces his way to her, not stopping or pausing for anything, rage giving him a strength he's never known before._

_It is a desperate battle he fights, and not for Aslan or Narnia. All he thinks of, as he swings his sword and sucks in sobs, is Edmund gasping and falling, is Edmund on the ground. _

_The Witch doesn't seem to tire, and he's already exhausted. But the fury and pain courses through him, and such a deep hatred he's never imagined he could be capable of feeling._

_He stumbles, sword sliding from his grip, falters. Triumph fills the White Witch's cold eyes. _

_And then a roar tumbles over the battlefield, Aslan's voice full of hope and light. The Witch flinches and Peter straightens, victory thrumming through him as the Lion charges over the rock. _

_Now the Witch gasps and falls, and Peter watches in satisfaction while Aslan defeats Winter. _

_Aslan turns to him after, a gentle rebuke in those golden eyes. Peter meets his gaze unflinchingly. _

_Susan and Lucy arrive, asking for Edmund; Peter rushes to where his little brother fell, where he is jaggedly gasping, his breath slowing, whole body shivering and shuddering._

_But Lucy's gift heals him and Peter wraps his arms around his brother, around Edmund, crying. _

_So close. Too close. Edmund grips him back, arms tight and trembling, the girls sobbing and laughing in relief._

_**Forgive me, **__Peter thinks but doesn't say, face buried in the space between Edmund's jaw and shoulder. _

_If it's meant for Ed or Aslan, Peter doesn't know, but no one responds and he grips Edmund tighter. _


	2. to be redeemed

**Title**: to be redeemed

**Fandom**: _Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_

**Disclaimer**: not my characters; just for fun.

**Warnings**: spoilers for LWW; moviebased

**Pairings**: none

**Rating**: PG

**Wordcount**: 170

**Point** **of** **view**: third

* * *

_He finds forgiveness in Lucy's arms, tight around him, her head nestled against his chest. _

_He finds forgiveness in Susan's smile, in her hand on his shoulder, in her voice. She, too, wraps him in her embrace and he clings to her for a moment._

_He finds forgiveness in Aslan's eyes, Aslan's words._

_He finds forgiveness in challenging the White Witch, in helping lead the Narnian army against her. He finds forgiveness when he charges for her, toward her, and all he wants to do is run away, far away—but he refuses to, because he had helped her and regret is sharp in his chest. He finds forgiveness when he shatters her wand._

_He finds forgiveness when the sharp edges of her wand tear into him, cold seeping through his body. He finds forgiveness when he falls back onto the hard ground, gasping for breath._

_He finds forgiveness in Peter's arms after Lucy heals him. He finds forgiveness in his brother's tears._

_And he finally finds forgiveness in himself. _


	3. we sang dirges in the dark

**Title**: we sang dirges in the dark

**Fandom**: _Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_

**Disclaimer**: not my characters; just for fun. Title from Don McLean.

**Warnings**: movieverse; implied non-con

**Pairings**: Miraz/Edmund

**Rating**: PG13

**Point** **of** **view**: third

**Wordcount**: 140

* * *

Lucy's cordial of healing, a gift from Father Christmas' hands himself, can fix physical hurts, can even bring someone back from Death's front doorstep. But it cannot do a thing for mental anguish, for the memories of a week of torment.

Edmund has no scars from the days and nights spent in Miraz's castle. All the cuts and bruises, rips and tears, have long since healed, and they're back in England, the four of them. They're back in England, and Miraz is dead.

Edmund saw his defeat, saw his death, but he never saw the body and his nightmares continue unabated, Miraz's hands and mouth and—

Lucy's cordial healed his body, but not even Aslan could heal his mind. Narnia is tarnished now. Edmund almost doesn't want to go back, and that hurts more than Miraz did.


	4. This will be the day that I die

**Title**: This will be the day that I die

**Fandom**: _Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ movieverse

**Disclaimer**: not my characters; title from Don McLean

**Warnings**: AU for movie

**Pairings**: none stated

**Rating**: PG

**Wordcount**: 845

**Point** **of** **view**: third

**Notes**: prequel to "we sang dirges in the dark"

* * *

It takes until the army is regrouping on the far side of the woods for anyone to realize Edmund isn't with them. Peter wants to return immediately, but Caspian and Glenstorm the Centaur hold him back.

"We have to save him!" Peter howls, twisting out of Caspian's grip. "Ed's still in there!"

Glenstorm scoops him up and holds him gently but firmly. "No, Majesty," he says. "We must regroup at the How."

Susan is crying as she says, "He's right, Peter. If Edmund is still there..." Her voice is lost in a sob.

"No!" Peter screams. "Please, we can't..."

Susan reaches up to touch his hand. "We can't get back in, Peter. We have to regroup."

He glares down at her. Glenstorm slowly lowers him back to the ground. "I am High King. I say we go back for Ed!"

"Peter." Caspian's voice is soft and his eyes full of sorrow. "We owe our soldiers a rest. We must return to the How."

Peter knows the wisdom of his words, of Susan's-if Ed's alive, he won't be for long. It would be suicide to go back.

"I can't," he whispers, looking Susan in the eye. "I can't leave him there without trying."

Susan takes his hand, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder. "We must," she murmurs. "You and I, Peter-we must go back to Lucy."

It breaks his heart, but he knows she is right. "Yes," he says. "But-"

She puts a finger to his lips. "No, Peter." She looks around at the soldiers, their people, the ones he led here and let down so terribly. "We return to the How," she says softly. She meets his gaze. "Is that understood?"

And so they return to the How.

o0o

Peter will never forget the expression on Lucy's face when she realizes Edmund is not with them.

A week passes, spent in desolation. Caspian takes command again; Peter survives only because Susan and Lucy bring him food and water.

One morning, at sunrise, a Hawk comes barreling out of the sky. "Queen Lucy!" she screams. "Get Queen Lucy! We'll need her cordial!"

"Why?" Trufflehunter asks as a Cheetah delivers the message deeper into the How.

Peter sits on the edge of the walkway, head resting on his knees. His whole body clenches at the Hawk's answer.

"A Telmarine has brought King Edmund back to us."

Peter leaps to his feet amid Trufflehunter's exclamation of joy. "Take me there," Peter commands, feeling alive for the first time since he left Edmund. "Now."

Lucy hurries out of the How, Caspian and Susan behind her. "What's the matter?" his youngest sister asks. "Who's been hurt?"

The Hawk wings her way back into the sky. "Follow me, Majesties," she says and takes off over the field.

Peter sprints after her, quickly leaving his sisters a long way behind. Caspian falls away soon after, but Peter keeps his eyes on the Hawk and forces his tired body onward.

Edmund has come back. Nothing else matters.

o0o

Peter hears them before he sees them, in the thick of the forest. They sound like a stampede, but it's only two horses with riders and a Centaur: Glenstorm, an old man, and a Telmarine soldier with a bundle in his arms.

The Hawk lands on a branch next to Peter. "They come," she tells Glenstorm. "But their majesties will be hard pressed to find you here."  
"A little further," Glenstorm tells the humans. "The trees end soon." He steps closer to the soldier. "Will you give him to me now?"

Both horses and riders are panting. Peter asks, "Is that Ed? How is he? He's alive?"

Glenstorm looks at him with kindness. "Queen Lucy's cordial will heal him, Majesty. Of that I am sure."

"I will carry him," the soldier gasps out. "I will carry him to the How and healing."

"Then let us go." Glenstorm trots over to Peter. "Your Majesty, I will take you."

Peter nods, holding up a hand. Glenstorm pulls him on and they gallop towards the edge of the woods.

o0o

Lucy is at the outskirts, surrounded by Narnians. They clear a path for Glenstorm and Peter, who slides off the Centaur. He hurries back to the Telmarine.

"Give him here," Peter tells him. Lucy races to his side, her cordial out and open.

"Be careful," the Telmarine says. "I only gave him a quick look-over. I'm not even sure how he's alive."

Peter gently lowers his brother to the ground. Edmund is wrapped in a horse-blanket, only his dark hair and bare feet visible. Slowly and carefully, Peter unwraps him.

Lucy gasps and Peter curses. Edmund's face is bloody and bruised, far too pale beneath the bloom of color and dried blood. His clothes are ripped and torn, and his breathing shallow.

"Lu," Peter prompts.

She nods, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Oh, Edmund," she whispers, tipping a drop of her cordial into his mouth. "What did that monster do to you?"  
Peter takes her hand and Edmund's, waiting for his baby brother to heal.


	5. once a king

**Title**: once a king

**Fandom**: "Supernatural"/_Chronicles of Narnia_

**Disclaimer**: not my characters

**Warnings**: takes place after season four, but no spoilers for anything; I have no idea when during Narnia's history this might be

**Pairings**: none

**Rating**: PG

**Wordcount**: 100

**Point** **of** **view**: third

**Dedication**: for irnan, for her birthday, to the prompt of _Dean goes to Narnia_

* * *

It's not that he doesn't miss the impala(because he does, _so damn much_) or that he doesn't miss Bobby and Ellen and everyone he's ever _met_, even the ones he didn't like. It's not that he's _happy_ being hailed as a Son of Adam, with subservient _squirrels,_ or what the fuck ever, asking if there's anything they can do for his highness, please, _anything at all_.

It's not how cool he thinks talking animals are, or the thrill he gets from watching damned _trees_ dance.

It is how Sammy hasn't stopped smiling since Aslan spoke his name.

_Samuel, welcome home. _


	6. from doorless doorway to doorway to sky

**Title**: from doorless doorway to doorway to sky

**Fandom**: Chronicles of Narnia movieverse

**Disclaimer**: not my characters; title from Denise Levertov

**Warnings**: takes place during the Pevensie reign

**Pairings**: none

**Rating**: PG  
**Wordcount**: 135

**Point** **of** **view**: third

**Prompt**: forgiven

* * *

Legend will sometimes call Edmund the Just by other names, among them _The Forgiver_ and _The Winter King_. His brother and sisters will be remembered as brave and gentle and kind, as virtues brought to life. Edmund, history will say, made the hard decisions. He weighed the cost and judged between mercy and justice.

Queen Lucy the Valiant was the hope of spring. King Peter the Magnificent was the warmth of summer. Queen Susan the Gentle was the relief of autumn.

And King Edmund the Just was the biting cold of winter, the hammer and the sword of his royal siblings.

Every night, Edmund asked for the forgiveness of his brother and sisters, and the Lion. Every morning, he woke determined to earn it.

_The Forgiver_, he will be called. _The Forgiven_, the Lion will roar.


End file.
